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Quote from ST

Hey, Chris!

I gasped when I followed the link. Are you getting the aquamarine?

Here's the story of the bird inlays.

Awesome story on the birds, thanks! Brain May built his guitar with his dad, so it seems fitting somehow that Paul would honor his mom.

Yes, the aquamarine was one of the things I was looking for (blue is my favorite color and it kinda matches the Vette). I'm sure the whale and other blues look good, but this color really pops and looks happy. I'm big on happy these days.

The pictures never do these guitars justice so I'm looking forward to seeing how it looks in person.

Quote from MuddySludge

Chris, I would be terribly disappointed if anyone tried to talk you out of it.

Too late for that, brother. Besides, in my currently single status I didn't have to get it approved by Purchasing.

And all this to play three chords...

Chris Duncan great choice. I think 24-08 switching system is a great feature.

The gold plating in PRS does fade fairly quickly but it fades quite naturally rather than flaking or bubbling. It actually takes on a nice aged look. At least the saddles on me P22 have done. My 513 is still looking pretty new.

I'm sure you will be very impressed and super happy when it arrives ?

Quote from Chris Duncan

Man, what a cool guitar. We were just talking about P90s and it never would have occurred to me to do a Strat with that configuration. I think you should do a video with some A/B between a stock Strat single coil and this baby. As a lifelong Strat fanboy I'd love to hear the differences in a context I'm familiar with.

I'll try put something up when I get a chance, probably audio only, video might be beyond my capabilities. That CU24 looks ridiculous, I came this close to getting a PRS a few weeks ago, fella was selling a leftie custom shop Martin because he wasn't playing anymore, got to talking and turned out he had a Taylor and a PRS as well, all top of the line stuff, so we agreed on a price for all three. Then Melbourne went in to a snap lock down and he decided whilst stuck at home that he wanted to take up guitar again. Doh! He still has my number.

I think peer pressure might be getting to us on this forum!

Quote from Wheresthedug

Chris Duncan great choice. I think 24-08 switching system is a great feature.

The gold plating in PRS does fade fairly quickly but it fades quite naturally rather than flaking or bubbling. It actually takes on a nice aged look. At least the saddles on me P22 have done. My 513 is still looking pretty new.

I'm sure you will be very impressed and super happy when it arrives ?

Thanks, man. It's good to hear from someone who's experienced the effects of time on the plating. The flaking & bubbling was the main concern, and I would have been surprised if PRS had made such a poor decision on materials. I mean, you know, unless they got bought out by CBS.

Yeah, I think the 24-08 switching is the best possible option for me. My G&L mods include a single mini toggle that split neck & bridge pickups together, so I like the ability to select just one or the other. I might have been concerned that mini switches would be too fiddly for my jump up and down / grab it and go style of playing, but both Strats were wired that way for years and it was never an issue.

The 85/15s for this year also promote their TCI calibration / tuning / whatever process. I don't know how significant that really is, but I like the sound of the pickups from before this was available and I doubt they'd do anything to make them sound worse.

All in all, this was the next best thing to ordering one to spec from the factory (and I don't mean Private Stock!), which would probably have meant waiting three years for it to arrive. I wouldn't have spec'd the gold trim and probably would have gone with stainless tuner keys, but otherwise it's exactly what I was looking for.

Quote from Wheresthedug

It actually takes on a nice aged look.

I'm hoping that's how the girls see me as well.

It's good to have dreams.

Quote from stratdude

I'll try put something up when I get a chance, probably audio only, video might be beyond my capabilities. That CU24 looks ridiculous, I came this close to getting a PRS a few weeks ago, fella was selling a leftie custom shop Martin because he wasn't playing anymore, got to talking and turned out he had a Taylor and a PRS as well, all top of the line stuff, so we agreed on a price for all three. Then Melbourne went in to a snap lock down and he decided whilst stuck at home that he wanted to take up guitar again. Doh! He still has my number.

I think peer pressure might be getting to us on this forum!

Audio only would still be great. To have a side by side comparison to a known commodity like a stock Strat would really highlight what the P90s bring to the party. Looking forward to hearing what you come up with.

Ridiculous is exactly the word that the "responsible adult" portion of my brain is using right now, but yeah, it should be pretty cool. Bummer that your deal went south. Maybe he'll get back into guitar, decide that he wants new toys, and call you back for the deal anyway. Positive thinking and all that.

And absolutely, peer pressure and enabling friends are my excuses for buying yet another guitar. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

A lot of great guitars here and a lot of PRS lovers, I must say that i never liked the PRS design but everything can change one day, I I used to hate Strandberg guitars but actually, i'm dying to have one !! (I played one time a PRS and it was very easy to play with a very different neck than everything i tried)

If there are Strandberg guitar users here, please share some pics !

Quote from Pixelman

If there are Strandberg guitar users here, please share some pics !

Wow, cool looking guitars.

Looks like a Steinberger had a one night stand with a BC Rich and this is what showed up nine months later.

Latest partscaster

Quote from Chris Duncan

Wow, cool looking guitars.

Looks like a Steinberger had a one night stand with a BC Rich and this is what showed up nine months later.

They're much cooler than that. The neck profile is totally unique. I've only played on once briefly (while I was waiting for the demo room to be available the day I bought me Kemper) and it was incredibly comfortable and easy to get used to.

The Eagle has landed.

TMI to follow.

Spent a little time with it earlier (neck still cold from the FedEx truck, but who's going to wait, right?). It does everything I was hoping that it would do. Definitely a keeper.

I'm not sure what the tuning keys are made of but I'm now glad that I have them and not the metal. They feel good to the fingers. I also haven't used a tremolo arm in ages but this thing is rock solid on tuning, even after doing some Eddie stuff (poorly). I wouldn't have chosen the gold on the bridge, and ultimately it will wear, but I do like the way it looks. So, the minor things I was wondering about all turned out okay. The finish is also beautiful, and like all the other guitar pix here, it's always hard to capture what it looks like in the room.

The pattern thin neck actually feels very familiar up through around the tenth fret, somewhere in the general neighborhood of a Strat. Not quite as deep but not enough to be a distraction. From there on up, because I start changing my hand position, it's more noticeably thin / wide in feel, but again it was something I could quickly acclimate to.

In all honestly, the McCarty has never been my favorite neck coming from a Fender background, but it's still immensely playable. It feels weird for a few seconds if I've been playing a Strat and then I forget about it. It's the same with the Pattern Thin neck on the CU24. It's new and different, so I notice it when I pick it up, but a few seconds later I've forgotten about the neck and am just playing guitar. I haven't played a Pattern Regular but based on the McCarty my guess is that the Pattern Thin is what I would have preferred.

Speaking of the McCarty, I was wondering if it would become redundant, but it's not going anywhere. The 85/15s are exactly what I was hoping they'd be, but side by side in the humbucking roles the McCarty is chosen for, the 85/15s are a bit hotter and the McCarty pups have a distinct clarity even with the Marshall on 11 sounds. True to my philosophy, the McCarty gives me something different enough from the CU24 to earn its keep, so it stays.

The pups and switching in the CU24 are spot on for what I was wanting. For full on bridge pickup rock and roll it's excellent, I just took that as a given. However, the versatility in tones will absolutely allow me to use it as an all night guitar. Splitting the bridge pup puts it squarely into a recognizable Strat tone. Not exactly a Strat, but for gigs darn well close enough. In the studio, well, I have a Strat. I was also curious what I'd get splitting both pups in the middle position. The result is very close to the fourth position "out of phase" Strat sound between the bridge and middle Strat pups. Again, not the exact same tone but can absolutely carry that load.

The neck pup in humbucking has a quality I wasn't expecting. When I do The Wind Cries Mary, I end up doing some of those bluesy hammers up past the 12th fret on the low E and A. Every guitar I've ever had always sounds a bit woofy / muddy at that point. This pup seems to roll off a bit of the rumbly bass and comes through very clean. And that's without splitting the coil. Also, even the slightest hint of incorrect intonation will leap out at that point, but the CU24 factory setup was perfect and the intonation flawless.

Another bonus I wasn't expecting was the middle position. Honestly, I've never used the middle position on any guitar I've owned, either Strats, SGs or the McCarty. It's just never been my thing. What I get out of the CU24, however, sounds spectacular with two humbuckers. It doesn't sound as plain jane as my perception of this sound in other instances. There's some clarity, sparkle, whatever that made me continually return to it.

No matter what combination of pups / splits I used, there just isn't a bad sound on this thing. I've never had a guitar where I could say that. I love the McCarty, but there are places I just don't go with it. Same for Strats. I couldn't be more pleased with the tone options this offers. And of course, typical of PRS, you can hit a chord, go out for pizza, and it's still sustaining when you get back. One of the first things I noticed about the McCarty, and it's even more pronounced on this one.

I suppose this is unsurprising, but I'll also have to go through my entire collection of go-to profiles and select different ones for this guitar. My full on rock sound is a Friedman with a Klon and that still does what I want with the CU24. For everything else, the McCarty's pups allow the clarity to ring through, but switching to the CU24 it pushes the amp just a bit too much. Even rolling back the volume (not my typical practice) doesn't give me what the McCarty does, so I'll need to select the profiles that best suit this guitar. That's not a bad thing, and I certainly have no shortage of profile choices, so I anticipate many hours sitting in front of RM with this guitar in my lap finding its favorites.

I didn't completely roll the dice when I ordered the G&L from the factory in 83. I'd played one at a music store, so the only question was one of quality with what I'd be shipped (not a given with Fenders). That turned out okay. This guitar was pure blind faith. I'd never even been in the same room with a CU24, or with 85/15s, but PRS has a good rep so I took a chance (the 45 day return policy didn't hurt). I opened the case, tuned it, it played perfectly right out of the box, and no aspect of the tones disappointed.

Many thanks to all who listened to me as I gnawed on my own ankle while thinking this purchase through. Also for all the first hand perspective and info from the PRS owners among you. I still think it's a stupid amount of money to spend on a guitar. However, once it was in my lap, I was reminded that I ordered a new Corvette from the factory, and that's a stupid amount of money to pay for something with four wheels that goes from point A to point B. But it's a purchase I enjoy every day and I'm at a point in my life where I can do such things, so maybe not so stupid after all. It didn't take long with this guitar to feel the same way. They'll bury me with this thing (but hopefully not anytime soon).

Now that I'm in the deep end of the pool, I suppose I'll have to join the cult. Somewhere in the wild, I'm sure a virgin unicorn is seeking shelter.

Man, I dodged the PRS ceremony. If I die suddenly, know that the cultists got me.

Quote from Pixelman

A lot of great guitars here and a lot of PRS lovers, I must say that i never liked the PRS design but everything can change one day, I I used to hate Strandberg guitars but actually, i'm dying to have one !! (I played one time a PRS and it was very easy to play with a very different neck than everything i tried)

If there are Strandberg guitar users here, please share some pics !

Here you go, man! This is a Swedish custom shop Boden 8. Swamp ash with a walnut top, fretboard is Roasted Maple with a Birdseye Maple neck.

Quote from Chris Duncan

The Eagle has landed.

TMI to follow.

Spent a little time with it earlier (neck still cold from the FedEx truck, but who's going to wait, right?). It does everything I was hoping that it would do. Definitely a keeper.

I'm not sure what the tuning keys are made of but I'm now glad that I have them and not the metal. They feel good to the fingers. I also haven't used a tremolo arm in ages but this thing is rock solid on tuning, even after doing some Eddie stuff (poorly). I wouldn't have chosen the gold on the bridge, and ultimately it will wear, but I do like the way it looks. So, the minor things I was wondering about all turned out okay. The finish is also beautiful, and like all the other guitar pix here, it's always hard to capture what it looks like in the room.

The pattern thin neck actually feels very familiar up through around the tenth fret, somewhere in the general neighborhood of a Strat. Not quite as deep but not enough to be a distraction. From there on up, because I start changing my hand position, it's more noticeably thin / wide in feel, but again it was something I could quickly acclimate to.

In all honestly, the McCarty has never been my favorite neck coming from a Fender background, but it's still immensely playable. It feels weird for a few seconds if I've been playing a Strat and then I forget about it. It's the same with the Pattern Thin neck on the CU24. It's new and different, so I notice it when I pick it up, but a few seconds later I've forgotten about the neck and am just playing guitar. I haven't played a Pattern Regular but based on the McCarty my guess is that the Pattern Thin is what I would have preferred.

Speaking of the McCarty, I was wondering if it would become redundant, but it's not going anywhere. The 85/15s are exactly what I was hoping they'd be, but side by side in the humbucking roles the McCarty is chosen for, the 85/15s are a bit hotter and the McCarty pups have a distinct clarity even with the Marshall on 11 sounds. True to my philosophy, the McCarty gives me something different enough from the CU24 to earn its keep, so it stays.

The pups and switching in the CU24 are spot on for what I was wanting. For full on bridge pickup rock and roll it's excellent, I just took that as a given. However, the versatility in tones will absolutely allow me to use it as an all night guitar. Splitting the bridge pup puts it squarely into a recognizable Strat tone. Not exactly a Strat, but for gigs darn well close enough. In the studio, well, I have a Strat. I was also curious what I'd get splitting both pups in the middle position. The result is very close to the fourth position "out of phase" Strat sound between the bridge and middle Strat pups. Again, not the exact same tone but can absolutely carry that load.

The neck pup in humbucking has a quality I wasn't expecting. When I do The Wind Cries Mary, I end up doing some of those bluesy hammers up past the 12th fret on the low E and A. Every guitar I've ever had always sounds a bit woofy / muddy at that point. This pup seems to roll off a bit of the rumbly bass and comes through very clean. And that's without splitting the coil. Also, even the slightest hint of incorrect intonation will leap out at that point, but the CU24 factory setup was perfect and the intonation flawless.

Another bonus I wasn't expecting was the middle position. Honestly, I've never used the middle position on any guitar I've owned, either Strats, SGs or the McCarty. It's just never been my thing. What I get out of the CU24, however, sounds spectacular with two humbuckers. It doesn't sound as plain jane as my perception of this sound in other instances. There's some clarity, sparkle, whatever that made me continually return to it.

No matter what combination of pups / splits I used, there just isn't a bad sound on this thing. I've never had a guitar where I could say that. I love the McCarty, but there are places I just don't go with it. Same for Strats. I couldn't be more pleased with the tone options this offers. And of course, typical of PRS, you can hit a chord, go out for pizza, and it's still sustaining when you get back. One of the first things I noticed about the McCarty, and it's even more pronounced on this one.

I suppose this is unsurprising, but I'll also have to go through my entire collection of go-to profiles and select different ones for this guitar. My full on rock sound is a Friedman with a Klon and that still does what I want with the CU24. For everything else, the McCarty's pups allow the clarity to ring through, but switching to the CU24 it pushes the amp just a bit too much. Even rolling back the volume (not my typical practice) doesn't give me what the McCarty does, so I'll need to select the profiles that best suit this guitar. That's not a bad thing, and I certainly have no shortage of profile choices, so I anticipate many hours sitting in front of RM with this guitar in my lap finding its favorites.

I didn't completely roll the dice when I ordered the G&L from the factory in 83. I'd played one at a music store, so the only question was one of quality with what I'd be shipped (not a given with Fenders). That turned out okay. This guitar was pure blind faith. I'd never even been in the same room with a CU24, or with 85/15s, but PRS has a good rep so I took a chance (the 45 day return policy didn't hurt). I opened the case, tuned it, it played perfectly right out of the box, and no aspect of the tones disappointed.

Many thanks to all who listened to me as I gnawed on my own ankle while thinking this purchase through. Also for all the first hand perspective and info from the PRS owners among you. I still think it's a stupid amount of money to spend on a guitar. However, once it was in my lap, I was reminded that I ordered a new Corvette from the factory, and that's a stupid amount of money to pay for something with four wheels that goes from point A to point B. But it's a purchase I enjoy every day and I'm at a point in my life where I can do such things, so maybe not so stupid after all. It didn't take long with this guitar to feel the same way. They'll bury me with this thing (but hopefully not anytime soon).

Now that I'm in the deep end of the pool, I suppose I'll have to join the cult. Somewhere in the wild, I'm sure a virgin unicorn is seeking shelter.

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Sweet! Happy New Guitar Day and thanks for the impressions!

Being buried with that thing doesn't sound half bad. I'm going to have them stack all my gear on top of my funeral pyre and take it with me when I go too!

Quote from nightlight

Man, I dodged the PRS ceremony. If I die suddenly, know that the cultists got me.

Here you go, man! This is a Swedish custom shop Boden 8. Swamp ash with a walnut top, fretboard is Roasted Maple with a Birdseye Maple neck.

Wow, that's an intense looking guitar! I love how even with a flat black finish the grain of the wood is still highlighted.

What's the thin pickup looking thing at the bridge, a piezo pup, midi controller, ... ?

Quote from nightlight

Being buried with that thing doesn't sound half bad. I'm going to have them stack all my gear on top of my funeral pyre and take it with me when I go too!

Now that's my kind of Viking funeral!

Quote from Chris Duncan

Wow, that's an intense looking guitar! I love how even with a flat black finish the grain of the wood is still highlighted.

What's the thin pickup looking thing at the bridge, a piezo pup, midi controller, ... ?

Now that's my kind of Viking funeral!

It's called a Perpetual Black finish. I like it quite a bit.

It's a Fishman Triple Play bracket. Tracks pretty well up to the B string, so I thought why not. Easy to remove as well, so no issues.

Haha, not a Viking funeral, but a Hindu one. Have you ever heard of "Sati"? I'm taking my babies with me!

Quote from Chris Duncan

The Eagle has landed.

TMI to follow.

Spent a little time with it earlier (neck still cold from the FedEx truck, but who's going to wait, right?). It does everything I was hoping that it would do. Definitely a keeper.

I'm not sure what the tuning keys are made of but I'm now glad that I have them and not the metal. They feel good to the fingers. I also haven't used a tremolo arm in ages but this thing is rock solid on tuning, even after doing some Eddie stuff (poorly). I wouldn't have chosen the gold on the bridge, and ultimately it will wear, but I do like the way it looks. So, the minor things I was wondering about all turned out okay. The finish is also beautiful, and like all the other guitar pix here, it's always hard to capture what it looks like in the room.

The pattern thin neck actually feels very familiar up through around the tenth fret, somewhere in the general neighborhood of a Strat. Not quite as deep but not enough to be a distraction. From there on up, because I start changing my hand position, it's more noticeably thin / wide in feel, but again it was something I could quickly acclimate to.

In all honestly, the McCarty has never been my favorite neck coming from a Fender background, but it's still immensely playable. It feels weird for a few seconds if I've been playing a Strat and then I forget about it. It's the same with the Pattern Thin neck on the CU24. It's new and different, so I notice it when I pick it up, but a few seconds later I've forgotten about the neck and am just playing guitar. I haven't played a Pattern Regular but based on the McCarty my guess is that the Pattern Thin is what I would have preferred.

Speaking of the McCarty, I was wondering if it would become redundant, but it's not going anywhere. The 85/15s are exactly what I was hoping they'd be, but side by side in the humbucking roles the McCarty is chosen for, the 85/15s are a bit hotter and the McCarty pups have a distinct clarity even with the Marshall on 11 sounds. True to my philosophy, the McCarty gives me something different enough from the CU24 to earn its keep, so it stays.

The pups and switching in the CU24 are spot on for what I was wanting. For full on bridge pickup rock and roll it's excellent, I just took that as a given. However, the versatility in tones will absolutely allow me to use it as an all night guitar. Splitting the bridge pup puts it squarely into a recognizable Strat tone. Not exactly a Strat, but for gigs darn well close enough. In the studio, well, I have a Strat. I was also curious what I'd get splitting both pups in the middle position. The result is very close to the fourth position "out of phase" Strat sound between the bridge and middle Strat pups. Again, not the exact same tone but can absolutely carry that load.

The neck pup in humbucking has a quality I wasn't expecting. When I do The Wind Cries Mary, I end up doing some of those bluesy hammers up past the 12th fret on the low E and A. Every guitar I've ever had always sounds a bit woofy / muddy at that point. This pup seems to roll off a bit of the rumbly bass and comes through very clean. And that's without splitting the coil. Also, even the slightest hint of incorrect intonation will leap out at that point, but the CU24 factory setup was perfect and the intonation flawless.

Another bonus I wasn't expecting was the middle position. Honestly, I've never used the middle position on any guitar I've owned, either Strats, SGs or the McCarty. It's just never been my thing. What I get out of the CU24, however, sounds spectacular with two humbuckers. It doesn't sound as plain jane as my perception of this sound in other instances. There's some clarity, sparkle, whatever that made me continually return to it.

No matter what combination of pups / splits I used, there just isn't a bad sound on this thing. I've never had a guitar where I could say that. I love the McCarty, but there are places I just don't go with it. Same for Strats. I couldn't be more pleased with the tone options this offers. And of course, typical of PRS, you can hit a chord, go out for pizza, and it's still sustaining when you get back. One of the first things I noticed about the McCarty, and it's even more pronounced on this one.

I suppose this is unsurprising, but I'll also have to go through my entire collection of go-to profiles and select different ones for this guitar. My full on rock sound is a Friedman with a Klon and that still does what I want with the CU24. For everything else, the McCarty's pups allow the clarity to ring through, but switching to the CU24 it pushes the amp just a bit too much. Even rolling back the volume (not my typical practice) doesn't give me what the McCarty does, so I'll need to select the profiles that best suit this guitar. That's not a bad thing, and I certainly have no shortage of profile choices, so I anticipate many hours sitting in front of RM with this guitar in my lap finding its favorites.

I didn't completely roll the dice when I ordered the G&L from the factory in 83. I'd played one at a music store, so the only question was one of quality with what I'd be shipped (not a given with Fenders). That turned out okay. This guitar was pure blind faith. I'd never even been in the same room with a CU24, or with 85/15s, but PRS has a good rep so I took a chance (the 45 day return policy didn't hurt). I opened the case, tuned it, it played perfectly right out of the box, and no aspect of the tones disappointed.

Many thanks to all who listened to me as I gnawed on my own ankle while thinking this purchase through. Also for all the first hand perspective and info from the PRS owners among you. I still think it's a stupid amount of money to spend on a guitar. However, once it was in my lap, I was reminded that I ordered a new Corvette from the factory, and that's a stupid amount of money to pay for something with four wheels that goes from point A to point B. But it's a purchase I enjoy every day and I'm at a point in my life where I can do such things, so maybe not so stupid after all. It didn't take long with this guitar to feel the same way. They'll bury me with this thing (but hopefully not anytime soon).

Now that I'm in the deep end of the pool, I suppose I'll have to join the cult. Somewhere in the wild, I'm sure a virgin unicorn is seeking shelter.

Display More

Fabulous, congrats on a real winner! I love it when you can bond so easily and quickly with a new axe.

Nicely done sir!

Great Strandberg and an 8 string (what i really want actually !) Congrats !

Hey Chris!

Quote from Chris Duncan

The Eagle has landed.

✄ - ✂ - ✄ - ✂ - ✄ - ✂ - ✄ - ✂ - ✄

I'm ecstatic for you!

Thanks for the deep dive with your impressions and analysis. It sounds like a great guitar for you.

ST

Quote from nightlight

It's called a Perpetual Black finish. I like it quite a bit.

It's a Fishman Triple Play bracket. Tracks pretty well up to the B string, so I thought why not. Easy to remove as well, so no issues.

Haha, not a Viking funeral, but a Hindu one. Have you ever heard of "Sati"? I'm taking my babies with me!

I'm sure your wife would prefer it to be your guitars!

Quote from dmatthews

Fabulous, congrats on a real winner! I love it when you can bond so easily and quickly with a new axe.

Nicely done sir!

My other guitarist was over last night and I handed him the Tele. He told me I was nuts to sell it. He's correct that it's an absolutely great guitar, but for whatever reason (I think it's the neck) I just couldn't bond with it.

With the CU, it took about 30 seconds to acclimate to the new neck, and that was that. Another thing I noticed is that the lower curve into the body feels closer to the contour of a Strat than the McCarty, which has a much smaller area more akin to a Les Paul. When sitting down it feels much more comfortable on my leg, and the violin recarve is also not as pronounced as the McCarty.

So yeah, pretty much instant bonding. I was going to give it a fair amount of time, but at that price tag if I didn't absolutely love it I wasn't going to keep it. Happy that I do.

Quote from ST

Hey Chris!

I'm ecstatic for you!

Thanks for the deep dive with your impressions and analysis. It sounds like a great guitar for you.

ST

Thanks, man. It's a keeper.

And yeah, the brain dump was in part my way of trying to pay back all the help everyone has given me here, in case some other guy comes along who's as clueless about what to expect from these guitars as I was.

Chris, the reason that the CU24 sounds more convincing in the Start position 4 sounds than others you have tried is probably because the 24 fret neck puts the neck pickup in a place that is closer to where the single coil in a Start would be than a tapped HB on a 22 fret neck.